Ex-Northview, NFL star lends advice

Izell Reese fulfilled a dream when he became a star football player at Northview, UAB and in the NFL ranks as a defensive back.
He fulfilled another one Wednesday night as he stood in the Dothan High School Auditorium, sharing advice with local athletes.

“When opportunities present themselves, make the most of your opportunities,” Reese said.

Those words became Reese’s motto after hearing them on the practice field as a freshman football player at Northview.

It was then another former Northview standout, Lawrence Dawsey, stood in front of the football team and gave an inspirational speech. At the time, Dawsey was a star receiver at Florida State, and would go on to be a standout in the NFL.

Reese soaked in everything Dawsey had to say.

“I wanted to be like him,” Reese said. “I wanted to come back and talk to others like he did.

“That was a destiny moment for me.”

It’s now Reese’s goal to see others — especially those from his home roots — reach their dreams.

Reese travels the country talking to athletes as a representative for the National Collegiate Scouting Association — an organization designed to feed information and help direct students and families in their quest to earn a college scholarship in athletics.

Tonight he is scheduled to speak to the athletes of Northview, and hopes to return to the Wiregrass soon to make the rounds at other schools.

Based in Atlanta, Reese has a hunger to help the athletes of this area and donated his time free of charge to interact with the athletes of Dothan and Northview.

“I want to get the kids from the Wiregrass more exposure,” Reese said.

As a high school star at Northview, Reese received letters of interest from many colleges.

“I put some letters on the wall and others in a shoe box under my bed,” Reese said. “Guess which ones made the wall? Auburn, Alabama, LSU, Georgia Tech.

“I thought it was only a matter of time that coaches would be knocking on my door. I was in the Honor Society. I took academics very seriously. I was a standout player.

“Guess what? There wasn’t a scholarship for me.”

Reese points out that the real opportunities for him rested in the “shoe box under my bed.”

That was a big part of his message to the students.

“What they see on ESPN is the Top 25 teams,” Reese said. “There’s over a million kids playing high school football across the nation. Only about one percent get a scholarship to a Division I school.”

After not receiving a scholarship offer following his successful high school career, Reese decided to walk-on at UAB, which at the time participated as a Division II football program.

Willard Whitcomb was the Northview coach when Reese graduated in 1993, and Whitcomb’s son, John, was a quarterback for the Blazers.

“I was considering going into the military,” Reese said before giving UAB a try.

Once he got back on the football field, Reese knew he belonged.

“The first thing I thought about is there were a lot of guys I played with or against in high school that could have played college football,” Reese said. “I led the team in interceptions and didn’t get a dime (school funding) for it.”

During his career at UAB, the program went from Division II to Division I-AA to Division I-A status.

Reese eventually was put on scholarship and became the second player in the school’s history to be selected in the NFL Draft when the Dallas Cowboys picked him in the sixth round in 1998. He spent seven years in the NFL, playing for Dallas, Denver and Buffalo before retiring in 2005.

“My personal story is a Cinderella story,” Reese said. “It doesn’t happen very often.”

Which is why Reese is so passionate about providing information, exposure and opportunities for others.

“When I look back, I shouldn’t have been a walk-on in college,” Reese said. “Don’t have tunnel vision and just focus on the big-time programs.”

Reese finished his speech Wednesday night with encouraging words.

“I’m here to tell each and every one of you, you can live out your dreams,” Reese said.

Izell Reese is a prime example of such. He’s now driven to help others do the same.

To learn about the National College Scouting Association, go to http://www.ncsasports.org.